Quick & Easy Halloween Snacks for Kids

What Makes a Good Snack for Kids?

Carbohydrates are the number one fuel source for growing bodies and brains.¹ Without them, kids’ moods and energy levels can take a nosedive. Choose quality carbohydrates found in fruits, dairy, and whole grains. With 10–12 grams of whole grains per bar and a good source of fiber,* CLIF Kid Zbar® snack bars are a quick and easy option.

Pair carbohydrates with protein and good fats (like nuts, nut butters, and seeds) to keep kids feeling full and satisfied. And since most of us don’t get enough fiber in our day — kids included — making sure their snacks contain a few grams is a wise idea.² Fruits, veggies, and whole grains provide kids with plenty of fiber.

Here are some easy and nutritious Halloween snacks for kids that are perfect for the whole family and will keep your little goblins and superheroes fueled this spooky season.

Frighteningly Quick and Easy Halloween Snack Ideas

• CLIF Kid Zbar® Spiders: Unwrap a Chocolate Chip Zbar® snack bar and cut it in half. Use a toothpick to poke 3 evenly spaced holes into 2 sides of each piece. Carefully press 3 pretzel sticks into the holes. Add slivered almonds for eyes by sticking them to the bar with a drop of honey or nut butter and serve.
• Un-Candy Corn Cups: Using small clear cups, layer strips of yellow bell pepper, halved baby carrots, and cauliflower florets (the colors of candy corn!). Drizzle with a little ranch dressing or put some at the bottom of the cup for easy dipping. Prep ahead and place the cups in the fridge for easy grab-and-go snacking.
• Clementine Jack-O’-Lanterns and Cheese Stick Ghosts: Use a black permanent marker to make jack-o’-lantern faces on snack-sized oranges. It just takes a few minutes for the marker to dry and you’re done! Do the same on the wrappers of single-serve white cheddar or mozzarella cheese sticks to make Cheese Stick Ghosts by drawing eyes and a mouth for a ghostly face. Pair the clementine and cheese stick together for a balanced snack perfect for school lunches.
• Pumpkin Popcorn: In a large bowl, combine 1 bag popped microwave popcorn with 1 cup roasted cashews, 1 cup peanut butter–filled pretzels, 1 cup mini cheese crackers, and ½ cup orange candy-coated chocolate pieces. Transfer the snack mixture to single-serve Halloween-themed bags or bowls to serve.

Spooky Halloween Snack Recipes

• Mummy CLIF Kid Zbar®: Grab a box of Iced Oatmeal Cookie Zbar® snack bars, unwrap each bar, and place them on a baking sheet. Use a spoon to drizzle them with Greek yogurt — you may need to add a few drops of milk to the yogurt to thin it out. Add eyes using raisins or dried cranberries. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour to allow the yogurt to set before serving.
• Spooky Yogurt Bark: Fill a 9 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 cups of vanilla Greek yogurt, spreading evenly to the sides with a spatula. Add about 15 mini pretzels, ¼ cup chopped pistachios, and 3 tablespoons orange, brown, and yellow candy-coated chocolates. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted semi-sweet milk chocolate. Pop in the freezer for 3 hours, cut into squares, and serve in mini Halloween-themed paper cups.
• Witchy Green Smoothies: In a blender, combine 1 cup coconut water, ¼ cup vanilla yogurt, ¼ cup ice cubes, 1 banana, ½ avocado, 1 cup baby spinach, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon honey. Blend until smooth. Pour into 4 mini glasses or jars, add paper straws, and serve.
• Banana Ghosts: Peel bananas, cut them in half, and insert wooden Popsicle sticks into the bottom to create handles. Place bananas on a large plate, baking sheet, or cutting board. Coat with nut butter and roll in unsweetened coconut flakes. Gently press chocolate chips into the banana for eyes and a raisin for a mouth to make a ghostly face.
• Ghost in the Graveyard Dip: Fill the bottoms of shallow clear cups or ramekins with store-bought hummus and arrange pretzels sticks around the outer rim of the cup to form a fence. Press crackers or cucumber slices into the hummus in the center of the cup as tombstones, with broccoli florets or leafy celery stems around them to form trees. Create dirt with a sprinkle of spices (paprika or cumin) or seeds (sesame seeds, chia seeds, or poppy seeds) and serve.
• Frankenguac Platter: On a large rectangular platter, create a Frankenstein body out of veggies using cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, carrots, grape tomatoes, and snap peas. Fill a square dish with guacamole (either store-bought or homemade using the recipe below) for the head. Add blue corn chips for hair, black beans or olives for eyes, and a pretzel stick for the mouth.

Frankenguac: This recipe makes a mild guacamole. Add seeded and minced jalapeno pepper to add some spice, if desired.

• 3 ripe avocados, seeded and peeled
• ¼ cup minced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Combine all four ingredients in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until mostly smooth.

No matter how you decide to celebrate the spookiest day of the year, make sure it’s safe, fun, and filled with lots of delicious and nutritious Halloween snacks for the whole family!

References

*Per 40 g bar; contains 3.5–5.0 g total fat per serving

1. Slavin JL, Carlson JN. Carbohydrates. Adv Nutr. 2014 Nov; 5(6): 760–761.
2. Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America’s fiber intake gap. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Jan-Feb; 11(1): 80–85.